


d[r]aft

by allthelines



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, M/M, Rated T for swearing because i cannot write anything without swearing, jaesung rise 2k19, self-indulgent with a capital S
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 14:16:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthelines/pseuds/allthelines
Summary: draft/drɑːft/1. a first or preliminary form of any writing, subject to revision, copying, etc.2. something Na Jaemin is perpetually unable to hand in on time, annoying his editors to no enddaft/dɑːft/1. senseless, stupid, or foolish2. Na Jaemin’s default mode, frustrating his editors to no end• • •Jaemin is a well-known romance scriptwriter who never hands in his drafts to his editor on time. Jisung is the newly promoted editor who has to handle his procrastination and general obtuseness.





	d[r]aft

**Author's Note:**

> this turned out three times longer than expected, also three times more crackhead than intended. it's not beta-ed and i turn a blind eye to my mistakes to protect my ego, so let me know if you spot any errors!
> 
> (also apologies in advance, i got lazy with the formatting)

To say Jaemin is miserable is an understatement. It’s day twenty-three of sustaining his biological systems through instant food. It’s bad for him, he knows, something-something about preservatives and nutrition, or maybe something about stomach linings — he hadn’t paid enough attention in science classes during high school to remember what exactly. He’s hunched over in his chair in front of his laptop, curtains drawn and lights off, the only source of illumination the Macbook screen at its dimmest. It casts a pale, ghastly white on his face, and the extremely blank word processor app stares right back at him. It’s been an hour since he woke up and nothing, absolutely nothing comes to his mind, not even after the terrible three-in-one instant coffee mix and spicy jin ramyeon. Clutching at his hair for the nth time in frustration, he pulls up his web browser to check his emails. There’s five (5) new ones from Renjun, his editor who definitely deserves a raise from all the years he’s dealt with Jaemin’s procrastinating ass.

 

The first email is dated from about two weeks ago with the subject “RE: Draft submission reminder” — that’s usual, the first email is usually Renjun sarcastically telling him _the due date is in three days, hope you’re wrapping up, but who am I kidding, I am already writing the next email to tell you you’re late in submitting your draft, again_.

 

 _Sue me, so I’ve got a little bit of a problem with handing things in on time_ , Jaemin thinks. It’s a bad habit that started somewhere from when he entered Korea’s national education system at six and he never got around to correct it as he progressed through the years. It’s honestly a miracle he graduated university and landed a job at one of Seoul’s up and coming production studios scriptwriting.

 

The second email from Renjun is a little less polite.

 

 

> From: Huang Ren Jun <hwang_injoon@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> To: Na Jae Min <na_jaemin@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Subject: RE: Your draft is LATE again
> 
>  
>
>> Jaemin,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> When will you ever hand in your drafts on time?? I don’t care that you wrote a script for the romance movie of the year last year. Nor the previous year. I have a job and that’s editing your scripts but you’re depriving me of a job!! Even just sending me a one minute scene to read would be nice!!
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> One of these days I’m going to write a tell-all book on you to expose your procrastinating ass to your fans!!!
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> 
>> Huang Renjun
>> 
>> Na Jaemin’s Long-Suffering Editor
>> 
>> Neo Culture Studios
>> 
>> 648, Samsung-ro (52-1, Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
>> 
>>  

Jaemin looks at the email, stressed. That’s right, he’s got a lot to live up to, especially when every single year, the movies based of his scripts breaks box office records. In the last movie he wrote, the male lead Jung Jaehyun was propelled to new heights of fame and labelled the new nation’s first love by every single news media outlet in South Korea. Netizens affectionately commented on those articles “that’s because the scriptwriter is god-Jaemin”, “I never not watch anything written by Jaemin-nim”, “honestly I hate romcoms but Jaemin-nim’s scripts are always so interesting”, “I’m in my mid-forties but every time I watch god-Jaemin’s works I feel like I’m a high school girl in love again”.

 

So you see, there’s really a lot to live up to and it’s not Jaemin’s fault he’s not the best at dealing with stress. Writer’s block happens to even the best writers. Determinedly, Jaemin marks all of Renjun’s emails as spam — the other remaining email subjects are Renjun expressing frustration through unevenly capitalized name-calling and threats (“RE: JaEmIN nA yOu aRe A mEnAcE tO sOciETy”, “RE: im gonna quit if you don’t reply!!!” and finally “RE: Hwang Injoon has requested a transfer”), so definitely spam in Jaemin’s books. It’s all routine to Jaemin after five years with Renjun so he barely bats an eye, to be very honest. Renjun’s number is also blacklisted on his phone for good measure before Jaemin closes his laptop and flops onto his bed. He needs a nap, and he needs it now.

 

•

 

It’s a whole week later when Jaemin receives a message from an unknown number, asking about his draft.

 

> Unknown Number:
>
>> Hi Jaemin, may I know when I can expect your draft? It’s a month late, and you haven’t been responding to any emails, so I have to resort to texting you.

 

_[The sender is not in your contacts, would you like to save this number?]_

 

Jaemin feels a chill run down his spine. Sure, he’s been late more than a few times with his submission. It’s also not the first time he stress-blocked his editor. But it’s definitely the first time Renjun went out of his way to get a new number to get around being blocked. And with how seemingly polite the message sounds, Jaemin is ready to beg for forgiveness.

 

He saves the new number and types out an apology message (read: _a message to evoke pity as much as possible and get his editor off his back_ ), throwing in as many crying emojis as he can for good measure.

 

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> hi my dearest editor ❤️❤️❤️ please forgive me 😭 I’m really trying my best here too but I really can’t get anything out 😭😭 every single day I sit miserably in front of my laptop but I just. Can’t. Write. Anything. it’s day forty-one of eating instant food because i can’t even bring myself to get proper food 😢 my last remaining brain cells are also giving up on me already 😭 believe me i am really struggling!! please don’t be so formal it’s so scaryyyy 😭😭😭 

• • •

 

The last thing Jisung expects to receive from _the_ _Na Jaemin_ , the famous romance scriptwriter behind multiple box office sell outs, and the writer he’s newly in charge of, is an emoji-laden message desperately begging for forgiveness. In all honesty, he had no idea what to expect when HR (Donghyuck) told him he had been promoted to replace Renjun. Donghyuck had rambled on about how Renjun “has had enough of Jaemin, so he finally decided to get a transfer to the marketing department because it’s also been kind of his lifelong dream to do graphics designing? He got approved in like twenty-four hours, truly record-breaking. I think bossman pities him for the years of suffering. Or maybe it’s because Renjun’s dating Jeno and Doyoung always has a soft spot for Jeno, so he approved it immediately...” Jisung didn’t question it, he tuned out most of Donghyuck droning anyway, who’s he to stop someone from pursuing their dream? Who cares who’s dating who, and who the head of HR has a soft spot for? Besides, he’s getting a promotion from intern to editor, so, really, _who the fuck cares?_

 

Renjun had kindly left him a box file of Jaemin’s works (but let’s be real, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t seen Jaemin’s works; even Jisung’s watched all of them when he’s not a romcom fan, courtesy of his housemate). There’s several bright orange post-it notes with warning symbols stuck to the box that instructed his successor to “always hound Jaemin for his works, or you will never see it”, “I’m not kidding, it takes at least twenty emails to get Jaemin to submit anything”, “If you want to strangle him, this is Jaemin’s address” along with a street and apartment name with a unit number, “but don’t kill him, just choke him, he kind of brings in a lot of revenue to the company”. A final note in smaller print states, “Please choke him, even if it’s for me, CHOKE HIM”. Jisung initially thought they were funny and had lined them up on the edge of his computer screen. Now, after an entire week of radio silence from Jaemin who didn’t even acknowledge the official emails announcing Renjun’s transfer and Jisung’s appointment as his new editor, he’s semi-convinced there is some truth to the warning messages his predecessor left him.

 

The message from Jaemin is left not replied because Jisung has no idea what to reply. Renjun never left any instructions on how to respond to Jaemin’s very affectionate and emotionally charged messages.

 

(At his new desk in the marketing department, Renjun sneezes.)

 

“So, you left him on read?”

 

Chenle, his housemate, also huge fan of Na Jaemin, the reason why Jisung has watched all of Jaemin’s movies at least twice, pauses mid-chew to ask. Jisung nods, helping himself to another piece of chicken; they had called in delivery for dinner to celebrate his promotion.

 

“Maybe you should bring him food, and then he’ll be able to write after he gets actual nutrition to get his brain going,” Chenle proposes, waving the chicken wing in his hand about with broad hand gestures supposedly the equivalent of the Expanding Brain Meme™.

 

Jisung squints.“You’re just suggesting that because you want me to go get his autograph for you.”

 

Chenle grins and doesn’t deny it. “You have his address right? You’ll get to meet Na Jaemin! The brilliant mind behind all the iconic lines in _Walk You Home_! And _My First and Last Love_ , sealing Jung Jaehyun’s status as the nation’s first love!”

 

Jisung remains unconvinced, he’s really more of an action movie fan. He’d never have watched all those movies if Chenle hadn’t dragged him to them. Though he had to admit, he did enjoy Jaemin’s works more than the usual romcoms.

 

“It’ll be good to meet him anyway. You haven’t introduced yourself to him, right?” Chenle reasons.

 

“I did, through an email. He just didn’t reply,” Jisung counters. “That’s rude on his part, so it’s kinda balanced out if I don’t reply his message now.”

 

“Eh, you’re just being childish. You just don’t know what to say to a famous person like Na Jaemin if you were to ever meet him.”

 

•

 

See, the one thing Jisung kind of lives off of is spite. It’s gotten him quite far in life, especially to land an internship with one of Seoul’s biggest production companies (he wanted to prove to his father a degree in arts wasn’t useless). And now it’s got him standing in front of Na Jaemin’s apartment door at nine in the morning, a plastic bag of takeout from the eatery nearby in one hand, and another ringing the doorbell. He’s going to prove Zhong Chenle wrong and introduce himself to Jaemin, ask for the draft and suavely exit with it (whether with finger guns or not, that’s still undecided).

 

The door opens and all the words he has had in mind dissipates. He’s greeted by a curious pair of eyes, dark brown irises with the longest eyelashes he’s ever seen on anyone fanning out with every blink, cutely scrunching nose at the smell of food and tongue running over the bottom of slightly chapped lips. _Holy shit, why did no one tell me Na Jaemin was this good looking?_

 

“Um... Did you get the wrong unit? I didn’t order anything,” Jaemin asks, eyeing the bag in his hand.

 

Jisung feels his cheeks heat up in embarrassment from staring at Jaemin far too long to be socially acceptable. He looks down at his sneakers, shuffling awkwardly.

 

 _Aww, whose child is this, he’s cute_ , Jaemin inwardly coos.

 

“N-na Jaemin, r-right?”

 

Jaemin nods, eyes flitting to look at the stuttering boy’s lips as he spoke.

 

“T-this is for you!” Jisung mumbles, thrusting the bag into Jaemin’s arms and running down the corridor to the lift lobby.

 

Bewildered (but overall pretty delighted to have received food), Jaemin barely catches the bag in his arms. He calls out a _wait! who paid for this?_ but the younger boy has disappeared behind closing lift doors. _Heh_.

 

Jaemin stares at the takeout box, the wonderful smell of jjajangmyeon enticing him to just open the box and eat it. But his mother has taught him about stranger danger from when he was a small child (no matter how cute the delivery boy is), and who knows, maybe an anti-fan found out where he lives and is trying to poison him? Do anti-fans even come this cute? Then again, he does recognise the logo of the eatery printed on the bag; it’s from the Chinese restaurant one street down from his apartment and the food from there’s pretty good. In a momentary stroke of genius, he reaches out for his phone to call up the restaurant and ask.

 

Patting himself on the back, _you’re a genius Na Jaemin! you could be a detective!!_ , he unlocks his phone and sees the message he sent Renjun (Jisung) yesterday. _Oh._

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> did you send me food? 🥺

 

On the bus ride to the office, Jisung panics looking at the message.

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> How did you know it was me??

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> what have i done to deserve you 😭😭😭 you are the best editor ever ❤️❤️❤️ how do i ever repay you for such kindness!!!!

 

With the assurance he’s not being assassinated, Jaemin digs into the food heartily.

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> You can repay through sending me your overdue draft

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> draft? what’s that? never heard of it before!! 😆

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> draft
>> 
>> /drɑːft/
>> 
>> 1\. a first or preliminary form of any writing, subject to revision, copying, etc.
>> 
>> 2\. something Na Jaemin is unable to hand in on time, greatly annoying his editor

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> i’m just joking 🙁 i’ll work hard after eating!!!!! i promise!!! 🙆🏻

 

•

 

Jisung glares at his housemate as Chenle wheezes, doubling over in fitful laughter. He recounted the day’s happenings to get an opinion or suggestion to salvage his non-existent reputation, not to get laughed at.

 

“You! You ran away! Jisung Park panicked!” Chenle barely gets out between his laughs.

 

The younger male uncrosses his arms with a huff, picking up their bright blue throw pillow to whack Chenle a few times. “Stop laughing at me!”

 

“Okay, okay, wait let me catch my breath!”

 

Jisung sighs and throws the pillow at the other in one last attack.

 

“How good looking was he that he made you so flustered?” Chenle wriggles his eyebrows at his housemate.

 

Involuntarily, Jisung’s feel his cheeks warming up again, all the way to the tip of his ears. Chenle notices and teasingly coos at his younger housemate. “That good-looking you’re speechless?”

 

Jisung doesn’t even bother to deny it. Flopping over to lie on his housemate’s lap, the younger groans helplessly. “What am I going to do? Now he knows that his new editor can’t even speak in front of him because he’s so... so gorgeous? Why didn’t Renjun leave me a post-it warning me he’s so good looking!”

 

(Renjun sneezes again as he watches television in his boyfriend’s lap. Concerned, Jeno asks if he’s not feeling well.

 

“It’s probably just the weather,” Renjun reassures his boyfriend with a smile.)

 

Chenle threads his fingers through Jisung’s hair, humming. “Just try again tomorrow and tell him you’re just shy around new people or something!”

 

“No!” Jisung protests. “He’s going to laugh at me!”

 

“Would he really? I mean, he sounds more grateful than anything over text that you delivered food to him.”

 

Unconvinced, Jisung pouts defiantly. His phone vibrates with a new notification from the very person he’d love to avoid for a week or so, work be damned.

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> as promised! I really am working hard!!!! ☺️☺️☺️
>> 
>> [image attached]

 

Jaemin’s posing with a peace sign in a selfie next to his open laptop, undecipherable lines of words running across the screen.

 

“Wow.” Chenle mutters. “You weren’t kidding about how good-looking he is.”

 

Jisung nods in agreement shyly.

 

“You see! You see! He’s doing work after you brought him food! You should bring him more food and encourage him. Aaaaand,” Chenle drags out for dramatic effect, “Leave a better second impression while you’re at it.”

 

•

 

Jisung regrets every moment in his short twenty-five years of life. He’s standing outside of Jaemin’s apartment again, food in one hand and the other over his heart in a weak attempt to calm down. If he survives this heart attack, he’s going to change his way of living, no more living on spite. (Chenle had challenged him, asking if he was afraid of Jaemin last night and of course not! Why would Jisung be scared of Jaemin for? Time to prove him wrong!) He rings the doorbell after one last deep breath, bracing himself for the impact that was Na Jaemin’s face.

 

“Oh, cute delivery boy! It’s you again!” Jaemin greets him enthusiastically, smiling widely at the sight of Jisung.

 

All twenty-four alphabets of the Korean language disintegrates in Jisung’s mind. _Hangul? Never heard of her._

 

“What are you delivering today?” Jaemin glances curiously at the bag.

 

“N-naengmyeon,” Jisung replies, eyes looking everywhere except at Jaemin’s.

 

“Oooh, I’ve never tried that, is it any good?” Jaemin grins at the younger male’s flustered reaction.

 

“I d-don’t know? Just take it!”

 

With the experience from before, Jaemin catches hold of the bag this time when it’s practically thrown at him. Jisung leaves hastily again. He hears Jaemin call out a _thank you!_ before the lift doors close.

 

 _Well, fuck_. He didn’t even manage to say anything about yesterday.

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> thank you for the food todayyy!!!! ☺️☺️☺️ i will eat it well!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ you’re the best i love you 🙆🏻🙆🏻🙆🏻

 

Jisung feels his lungs have forgotten how to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen all of a sudden. Jaemin called him cute just now, right? And now he’s got a profession of love out of the blue. This is not good for his heart, nor his wallet (though he does have a pay raise after the promotion).

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> Just hurry up with your draft!!

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> ay ay captain!!! your wish is my command 👌👌👌

 

• • •

 

The food deliveries continue over a couple of weeks (really not good for his heart and wallet, Jisung thinks), because Jisung is “guilt-tripping Jaemin into writing and sending updates everyday” even though it’s all just selfies and blurry lines of words in the background. It’s definitely not because he wants to see Jaemin nor hear Jaemin call him ‘cute delivery boy’ every morning. ( _Honestly, rude much? I’m your editor not your delivery boy??_ Jisung commented one evening. Chenle snorts, _it’s not like there’s much of a difference for you, is there?_ )

 

That particular morning, however, Jisung feels under the weather, probably from all the daily walks in the cold mornings of Seoul from the Chinese restaurant to Jaemin’s apartment. He’s done it so often he’s on first name basis with the cashier, Minhyung, who recommends something new from the menu everyday, “to make the food delivery more exciting”. Apparently. Jisung thinks the guy has no concept of what exciting means. The little conversations while waiting for the food to be done adds up, and Minhyung knows about Jisung’s little crush on the guy he delivers food to (Jisung denies this, however), while Jisung has no idea what to do with the information that Minhyung mans the counter because he’s been banned from the kitchen by the head chef after a terrible mishap with some eggs.

 

“I called in sick for you, just take the flu meds and sleep in,” Chenle states, pushing a glass of water and a box of tablets into Jisung’s hands.

 

“But what about—“

 

“Jaemin’s food delivery? You’re sick and you’re still thinking about that?”

 

Jisung pouts. 

 

“Fine, fine, text me his address, I’ll drop food off for him today.” Chenle rolls his eyes.

 

“Already did,” Jisung replies.

 

“You little shit.”

 

Jisung smiles cheekily, only to be interrupted by a sneeze. “I’ll text Minhyung so you can just pick up the food and go!”

 

“You’re whipped, Park Jisung.” Chenle shakes his head. “Look at you, all grown up and in love. Kids grow up so fast these days!”

 

Jisung chucks a box of tissues at his housemate.

 

“Rest well! Don’t die of misery from not seeing Jaemin today!”

 

• • •

 

Jaemin looks at the guy at his doorstep — it’s not his usual cute delivery boy?

 

“Oh, your usual _cute_ delivery boy?” Chenle wriggles his brows teasingly.

 

Shit, he didn’t mean to say that out loud. “Ah, I mean, I’m just used to seeing him every morning?”

 

Jaemin swears the guy in front of him is definitely cackling, but he doesn’t know what’s funny.

 

“Jisung is sick today, so I’m delivering on his behalf. Here you go.”

 

 _So, his name is Jisung..._ Jaemin takes the bag from Chenle — for once it’s not being thrown at him and he’s suddenly not very used to that. “I see, please tell him to get well soon on my behalf!”

 

“Sure.” Chenle nods. “I’m a great fan of your works by the way! I really look forward to your next movie.”

 

“Thank you!” Jaemin grins. “I’m working on it now, hope it meets your expectations when it finally hits the cinemas.”

 

“I know, and it definitely will! Your works never disappoint. Anyway shucks, gotta go, I’m almost late already,” Chenle responds with a quick wave. “See you!”

 

There’s something off about the whole conversation with Jisung’s stand-in delivery boy, but Jaemin shrugs it off in favour of stabbing at his food, feeling slightly bummed out. From sometime ago, he’s not really sure when, he had grown used to seeing Jisung every morning. Funny how easily habits just creep up on you like that. And honestly, Jisung’s kind of been serving as inspiration for his newest script, a dramatised romance between a delivery boy and a struggling author. He sends a thank you message to his editor (he was brought up to be grateful!), and sits in front of his laptop after finishing the food. Unlike the other days, however, there’s no clicking of the keyboard as words fill up the space on the screen. He thinks about his cute delivery boy being sick and loses all inspiration to write.

  

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> No need to thank me, just hurry up with your draft.

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> i don’t know if i can write today 🙁

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> Why not?

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> well you see, i’ve been having writer’s block until you had food delivered to me, and everyday i see this cute delivery boy who’s been the inspiration for my work lately!! but today a different delivery boy (still cute I guess) came instead because my usual delivery boy is sick so now i’m sad and i can’t write 🙁

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> ...

 

• • •

 

Chenle returns home to the sight of Jisung sitting unhappily on the living room couch, hair sticking up in different directions, arms crossed over the blue throw pillow, glaring at their television.

 

“You feeling better?” he asks.

 

“Never been better,” comes the dry response from a seemingly angry baby chick.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

Jisung turns to Chenle with a huff. “Jaemin thinks you’re cute too.”

 

 _What_.

 

The angry baby chick lookalike hands his unlocked phone to his housemate, the chat log with Jaemin open. Frowning, Chenle takes the phone and reads the messages, only to start laughing at the end of it.

 

“That’s it? You’re upset because he commented I’m cute? Out of all the other words that basically screams that he misses you?”

 

Jisung feels a warmth spreading over his face, and chooses to tuck his head under the pillow he’s holding.

 

•

 

Because he’s still a little bit under the weather, Jisung had slept in fifteen minutes more and was running slightly late for his usual delivery. He had taken the delivery boy job back from his housemate last night; _what if Jaemin starts falling for Chenle if he sees Chenle two days in a row?_

 

The ugly feeling of jealousy gnawing away at him, he complains to Minhyung about the woes of his insignificant love life while waiting for the food to be done.

 

Ah, young love. Minhyung chuckles, ruffling the hair of the crestfallen boy, pinching his cheeks as well. Jisung shies away from the touch slightly, batting the older male’s hands away but with no real malice.

 

• • •

 

All Jaemin wanted to do was get food, because his cute delivery boy had not shown up (nor his stand-in delivery boy). He swears he’s probably been conditioned by Jisung because he’s craving for Chinese food and finds himself walking towards the very same restaurant Jisung brings him food from everyday.

 

However, nothing prepares him for the sight of his cute delivery boy pliantly letting the cashier play with his hair and pinch his cheeks. _Ah... so he has a boyfriend..._

 

He watches from the outside as someone passes a bag of food to Jisung. _That’s probably for me?_ Quickly, he makes his way home so he can pretend nothing has happened.

 

• • •

 

There’s no bright smile and cheery greeting from Jaemin when the door opens. “Hey. You feeling better?”

 

Jisung’s slightly bothered by the tone Jaemin’s using. _Is he disappointed it’s not Chenle?_ “Y-yeah, thanks for asking.”

 

He hands the bag over to Jaemin, who receives it carefully. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

 

Jisung nods, looking at Jaemin straight for once. He wants to ask if Jaemin’s okay, but he’s worried he’ll hear something he doesn’t want to know the answer to.

 

Jaemin notices the steady but confused glance, dark strands of hair falling over Jisung’s eyes. He wants to reach out and brush his hair away like he had seen the other guy did in the restaurant but refrains from doing so. _He’s not looking away today… All this while he was just uncomfortable with me calling him cute I guess._

 

“See you,” Jisung mumbles quietly, before turning to leave.

 

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> i don’t think i can write today either 🙁

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> What is it this time? 

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> my cute delivery boy is back... but i found out today he has a boyfriend so now I’m heartbroken 🙁🙁

 

He doesn’t get a reply for a while and proceeds to stuff himself with the dumplings from today’s delivery.

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> But I don’t have a boyfriend...?

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> what do you mean?
>> 
>> aren’t you dating jeno??
>> 
>> did you guys break up???
>> 
>> why didn’t you tell me something so important renjun!!!!
>> 
>> i thought we were friends!!!

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> What?
>> 
>> I’m not Renjun?
>> 
>> Renjun has been transferred for a month?!

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> what does that even mean oh my god who are you!!!

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> Wait hold up so you really thought I was just your delivery boy all this while?

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> what?????
>> 
>> oh
>> 
>> oh my god
>> 
>> Jisung?

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> How long have you not checked your emails?

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> very long...?

 

> injunnie’s new number🙃:
>
>> ...
>> 
>> daft
>> 
>> /dɑːft/
>> 
>> 1\. senseless, stupid, or foolish
>> 
>> 2\. Na Jaemin’s default mode, frustrating his editor to no end

 

> Jaemin:
>
>> omg im so sorry

 

_[Your message could not be delivered at this time. Please try again later.]_

 

 _He blocked me?!_

 

Jaemin pulls up his email client immediately, dumplings ditched aside. He goes through the spam folder and opens the last email from Renjun.

 

> From: Huang Ren Jun <hwang_injoon@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> To: Na Jae Min <na_jaemin@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Cc: Lee Dong Hyuck <lee_donghyuck@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Subject: RE: Hwang Injoon has requested a transfer
> 
>  
>
>> Dear Jaemin,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> This is a formal email to inform you that I have put in a request with HR to be transferred to the marketing department. If all goes well, HR should update you shortly with the information of my replacement.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> 
>> Huang Renjun
>> 
>> Na Jaemin’s Long-Suffering Editor (Outgoing)
>> 
>> Marketing Brand Manager (Incoming)
>> 
>> Neo Culture Studios
>> 
>> 648, Samsung-ro (52-1, Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

**|**

  

> From: Lee Dong Hyuck <lee_donghyuck@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> To: Na Jae Min <na_jaemin@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Cc: Huang Ren Jun <hwang_injoon@neoculturestudios.com>; Park Jisung <park_jisung@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Subject: RE: Change of editors
> 
>  
>
>> Dear Jaemin,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> On behalf of the HR department at Neo Culture Studios, I would like to inform you of the manpower changes concerning your work arrangement. Your previous editor, Huang Renjun, has been transferred to the marketing department. Park Jisung will be your new editor henceforth. Any communication regarding your projects should be directed to Jisung from now on.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Do let me know if you have any other queries.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Lee Donghyuck
>> 
>> Human Resource Executive
>> 
>> Neo Culture Studios
>> 
>> 648, Samsung-ro (52-1, Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

 **|**  

 

> From: Park Ji Sung <park_jisung@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> To: Na Jae Min <na_jaemin@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Subject: RE: Hello
> 
>  
>
>> Dear Jaemin,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I am Jisung, your newly appointed editor. I understand from Renjun during the handover that communication about your projects is mostly done remotely. We can continue the arrangements as before to minimise any disruption on your part.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> I look forward to working with you!
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Warmest regards,
>> 
>> Park Jisung
>> 
>> Editor
>> 
>> Neo Culture Studios
>> 
>> 648, Samsung-ro (52-1, Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

 

**|**

 

> From: Park Ji Sung <park_jisung@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> To: Na Jae Min <na_jaemin@neoculturestudios.com>
> 
> Subject: RE: Draft
> 
>  
>
>> Dear Jaemin,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> From the information given to me by Renjun, the deadline for a new draft from you has been overdue for a month. Could you give me a rough gauge of when I can receive this from you?
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Warmest regards,
>> 
>> Park Jisung
>> 
>> Editor
>> 
>> Neo Culture Studios
>> 
>> 648, Samsung-ro (52-1, Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
>> 
>>  

Jaemin practically smacks his forehead onto his work table. Renjun has been gone for an entire month! All this while he had been conversing with Jisung without knowing! Jisung is the cute delivery boy sending him food every morning to encourage him write!! Jisung also does not have a boyfriend!!!

 

 _Fuck_.

 

Jaemin grabs his coat and runs out.

 

• • •

 

Minhyung is at absolute lost of how to deal with the situation before him. Five minutes ago, this bloke in front of him practically threw the doors to the restaurant open, introduces himself to be _Jaemin? Or Jemin? Who knows and who cares?_ and practically demanded to know where to find Jisung.

 

“Who are you and why are you looking for Jisung?”

 

Jaemin sighs exasperatedly. Of course, why would Jisung mention his name to everyone he meets? What was he thinking?

 

“Are you a stalker?”

 

“No!” Jaemin exclaims. “Look, I know him, I’m just— I need to find him now?”

 

“Call him then, if you know him you could just call him right?” Minhyung challenged.

 

“I can’t, he blocked me!”

 

“So... Are you sure you’re not a stalker?”

 

• • •

 

Jisung’s miserably stuffing his face with the vanilla ice cream he found in the office pantry, upset over the whole fiasco with Jaemin. _How could he!! An entire damn month! How could he not know!?_

 

His phone is ringing with an unknown number, and he picks it up begrudgingly, his ice cream binging session interrupted. “Hello?”

 

“Is this Park Jisung?”

 

“Yeah, I’m speaking. Who’s this?”

 

“I’m Officer Kim from Seocho-gu Police Station. Could you come down to the station? Someone has lodged a police report on your behalf regarding a stalking incident.”

 

 _What??_

 

“Has there been some kind of mistake?”

 

“We would need you to come down to verify that.”

 

“Who is this supposed stalker?”

 

“The report was lodged against an individual named Na Jaemin.”

 

 _What?????_

 

Jisung flings his spoon into the sink. “Okay, okay I’ll be there soon.”

 

• • •

 

Jaemin sits quietly in the corner of the waiting area. Technically, he’s not being charged (yet) because the “victim” of the case had not signed to press charges. Minhyung (he overhead while he was giving his statement, he’s really not a stalker!) the cashier of the Chinese restaurant and definitely not Jisung’s boyfriend is frowning at him from the other side of the room. A hundred and one thoughts are going through his mind now, like how is he supposed to get out of the predicament? Will Jisung come? Would Jisung even come knowing it’s him in trouble? How is he going to explain himself and make it up to Jisung? Where is Jisung now?

 

Jisung rushes into the police station and spots Jaemin first, who’s trying to make himself look a lot smaller than he really is and blend into the walls if possible. Jaemin moves to get up and approach him, but Jisung shoots him a warning glare that has him sit back down immediately, a sad expression on his face.

 

Too far away to hear anything, Jaemin watches as Jisung sits down with an officer and possibly explain the situation. A sudden fearful thought overcomes him, what if Jisung decides to press charges and leave him here?

 

He’s so consumed by the depressing thought he doesn’t even notice Jisung’s done with the officer and has sent Minhyung off after thanking him.

 

“Come on.” Jisung stands before Jaemin, barely looking at him in the eye.

 

Wide, teary eyes stare at Jisung from under too long bangs, along with a slightly jutted out bottom lip; Jaemin looks like a puppy left out in the rain by an errant owner, minus the pitiful whimpers.

 

“Do you want to spend the night here?” Jisung half-threatens.

 

Jaemin gets up immediately to follow the younger out of the station.

 

“Jisung-ah...” Jaemin begins, tugging gently at his editor’s shirt sleeve.

 

His hand travel downwards to hold Jisung’s hand.

 

 _Ohhh, smooth._ Jisung thinks, looking at the linked fingers, blush creeping in onto his face.

 

“Are you angry with me?”

 

Not trusting his voice to make a response, Jisung turns away from the pouting Jaemin. He’s never wondered more, _what kind of trees does the government plant around police station parking lots?_

 

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” Jaemin apologises, “I should have checked my emails, and I should have realised who you were.”

 

“Okay,” Jisung replies, not really knowing what else to say.

 

“I’m not lying when I say you’re cute though, I really do like you, cute delivery boy or editor,” Jaemin continues.

 

Jisung takes a sudden interest in the gravel, unable to look up. _What kind of mixture ratio do they use in terms of cement to water for police station parking lots?_

 

“What can I do to make it up to you?” Jaemin asks, playing with Jisung’s hand, pulling the younger closer to him at the same time.

 

“I don’t know... Maybe you can start from handing in your draft to me first?”

 

“Okay! I will! Will you go out with me after I do that?”

 

“I-I’ll think about it.” Jisung chews on his bottom lip, flustered.

 

Jaemin pulls Jisung into a tight embrace, resting his chin on the younger’s shoulder. “Okay. Wait for my draft. I’ll get it done by tonight.”

 

• • •

 

By the time Jisung finishes relaying what happened all day to Chenle, the other boy is laughing hysterically, warm tea threatening to spill over the mug he’s holding.

 

“Holy shit, this probably beats all the romcoms Jaemin has written!”

 

“Thanks. I’m glad you’re very entertained by it all,” Jisung half-whimpers into his hands, covering his face in embarrassment.

 

“Well then, are you gonna go out with him?”

 

Jisung is interrupted by a notification on his phone. It’s an email from Jaemin, with a word document attached!

 

“Whoa amazing! He really got it done!” Chenle exclaims. “Come on open it, I wanna see it!”

 

Jisung shoves his housemate away instead, clambering out of the couch to read the script alone in his room. The attachment is titled “d[r]aft - for my jisungie”. He can hear his heartbeat loud in his ears as the pages load. A small smile makes its way onto his face as he reads about all the exchanges he’s had with Jaemin, except Jaemin in the script is a struggling author, not a successful scriptwriter. Curiosity gets the better of him and he skips to the ending, wanting to know what Jaemin has envisioned it to be.

 

• • •

 

Jaemin opens the door to a slightly nervous but smiling Jisung. He’s shuffling slightly at the doorstep, plastic bag in his hand crinkling against the side of his leg.

 

“Morning, my cute delivery boy,” Jaemin greets with his usual bright grin. “Have you seen my draft?”

 

Jisung nods, smile growing shyer.

 

“What do you think of the ending I wrote, my dear editor?”

 

“I don’t really know,” Jisung mumbles softly. “I think I need some help understanding that part.”

 

Jaemin pulls the younger into his apartment by the waist, crowding into Jisung’s space and trapping him against the door. “Would a simulation of the scene help?”

 

“Maybe.” Jisung tries to act nonchalant, but he can barely keep his cool when he notices Jaemin looking at his lips.

 

Jaemin hums contentedly, one hand still on Jisung’s waist, the other reaching to play with the soft little hairs on the younger’s nape.

 

“Jisung-ah.”

 

“Mm?” With a rare stroke of confidence ( _it’s in the script!! I’m just following the script!!_ ) Jisung drops the bag to put his arms around Jaemin’s neck.

 

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

 

Jaemin closes the gap between their lips, and Jisung can feel him smiling into the kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> do i regret writing this? maybe. but did i enjoy writing this? definitely.
> 
> hope y'all enjoyed it! ♡
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/allthelines) || [twt](https://twitter.com/jaesungrise)


End file.
